Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP announced today that it has added an elite corporate team consisting of five partners and several associates. The partners include prominent capital markets and M&A lawyers Edward Best, Jennifer Carlson, John Ablan, Esther Chang and Susan Rabinowitz. They are based in Willkie’s Chicago office.
Eddie will serve as Co-Chair of Willkie’s Capital Markets Practice Group. With over 35 years of experience, Eddie is recognized as one of the nation’s leading capital markets lawyers, representing issuers and underwriters in public and private securities offerings in the U.S. and international markets. He also has an active M&A practice, providing strategic M&A and transactional advice to clients across numerous industries.
With nearly 20 years of experience, Jen focuses her practice on capital markets transactions, public company disclosure, and corporate governance matters.
John, Esther and Susan are corporate lawyers who have worked alongside Eddie and Jen for several years. Together, these additions significantly strengthen Willkie’s capital markets and strategic M&A capabilities in Chicago and beyond.
“We are thrilled that these highly talented lawyers are joining us. With their preeminent capital markets and M&A practices, Eddie, Jen, John, Esther and Susan further Willkie Chicago’s growth in serving the Chicago business community with first-rate practitioners recognized as the leading lawyers in their fields. They bring not only just themselves but the full panoply of our firm’s global strength in these practices to the Chicago market,” said Craig C. Martin, Chairman, Midwest. “Willkie Chicago’s growth continues to focus on strategically offering to its clients and the business community in Chicago and beyond those practices in which Willkie excels in its global platform. Today, one-third of our lawyers in the growing Chicago office is comprised of private equity, M&A, finance, private funds, and now capital markets, and two-thirds are in our well-established trial, intellectual property, antitrust, ERISA, investigations, governance and private wealth practices.”
Cristopher Greer, who serves as Co-Chair of Willkie’s Capital Markets Practice Group alongside Gregory Astrachan, said: “Eddie is a proven leader who brings tremendous value to our group and to our clients. We are thrilled to welcome him, along with Jen, John, Esther and Susan, to Willkie.”
Eddie commented: “Willkie’s dynamic growth, including in Chicago, got our attention. However, Willkie’s strong transactional practices, collaborative spirit and the ability to provide exceptional service to our clients were the deciding factors. We look forward to helping lead the growth of the Firm’s transactional platform in Chicago and are excited about all that Willkie offers to our clients.”
Willkie Chicago has added nine lateral partners since the start of 2023, and now approaches 100 lawyers since opening four years ago.
Led by Craig C. Martin, a courtroom to boardroom lawyer and trusted advisor, the office is a destination for board governance counseling, investigations and high-stakes trial work, and has a premier private wealth practice. Willkie Chicago’s growing transactional practice is focused on private equity, mergers and acquisitions, asset management, finance, capital markets and restructuring.
Willkie’s Capital Markets Practice represents U.S. and foreign issuers and underwriters in a variety of capital-raising transactions, ranging from initial public offerings to offerings by seasoned public companies, and involving the issuances of high-yield, investment grade and convertible debt and common and preferred stock in the U.S. and foreign markets.
Willkie’s Mergers & Acquisitions Practice represents buyers, sellers, special committees of boards, debt and equity investors and financial advisors in some of the most significant and complex acquisition transactions. Willkie advises not only on significant domestic matters, but also on complex cross-border transactions.
Biographical Notes
Edward Best’s comprehensive capital markets practice includes a particular focus on offerings by financial institutions, including banks, insurance companies, broker-dealers and specialty finance companies, and cross-border offerings. He also advises clients on mergers and acquisitions transactions. Eddie’s M&A practice includes a focus on transactions by financial institutions, including insurance companies, broker-dealers and asset managers. He has received numerous accolades by legal media and directories for his work, and is a frequent speaker and author on capital markets and corporate law topics. Eddie has been named a BTI Client Service All-Star three times and was the inaugural recipient of his prior firm’s Diversity Champion Award. He is a current member of the American Bar Association’s Sub-committee on Federal Regulation of Securities. Eddie was previously leader of the Capital Markets practice at his former firm, and he also maintains an office in New York.
Jennifer Carlson regularly represents companies and investment banks in capital markets and finance matters, including debt and equity offerings and liability management transactions. In addition to her transactional practice, Jen advises companies on SEC disclosures, stock exchange compliance, fiduciary duties, and corporate governance matters. Jen regularly presents on SEC disclosure and corporate governance topics and is a member of the American Bar Association and the Society for Corporate Governance. Jen also maintains an office in Palo Alto.
John Ablan advises clients on a wide range of domestic and cross-border capital markets transactions, including: investment grade and high yield debt offerings; initial public offerings and follow-on equity offerings; de-SPAC transactions; preferred equity offerings; and liability management transactions. John advises companies on the securities law aspects to mergers and acquisitions and restructuring matters. In addition to his transactional practice, John also advises public companies on their securities law compliance obligations, stock exchange listing requirements, corporate governance and other matters. John also maintains an office in New York.
Esther Chang represents purchasers and sellers of domestic and international businesses on complex public and private mergers, including special purpose acquisition companies, stock and asset acquisitions and divestitures, joint ventures, minority investments and strategic alliances. She also advises clients regarding private equity investments, as well as corporate governance and commercial matters.
Susan Rabinowitz represents corporate issuers and investment banks in a wide range of capital markets transactions in the U.S. and international markets. Her capital markets practice spans a variety of industries, with particular experience in the banking and financial services sector. Susan’s transactional practice also includes representing companies in mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, joint ventures and other strategic transactions.